


Home Is Where The Heart Is

by MethodMom



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Minor Character Death, Non magic AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-05
Updated: 2019-10-11
Packaged: 2020-11-23 23:13:37
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20897705
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MethodMom/pseuds/MethodMom
Summary: After suffering a great loss, can Narcissa find it in her heart to ever love again?  Or is the heart the problem in the first place?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This wouldn't have made it here without you, Delirious Comfort. Thank you <3 For everyone else, heads up, this fic will get heavy at times. I will post trigger warnings before each chapter as needed, promise. This is my first attempt at this ship and only my second posted work. I'd be lying through my teeth if I said i wasn't nervous. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it.

A crisp fall breeze blew across Lily’s face as she turned the key in the lock of her front door and stepped in. The faint yellow glow from a dinosaur night light illuminated the entryway, revealing it for the minefield of leftover toys that it was. Lily snorted, set down her messenger bag and began picking up the tiny pieces that made a trail up the oak staircase, almost forgetting to skip the broken third step. _I need to fix that,_ she thought. But first, she desperately needed to get some sleep.

Once on the staircase landing, her hands full of small multicolored blocks and cars that she had collected on her way up, Lily tiptoed to the door on her left and peeked in expecting to see a mess of blond hair on the Batman pillow case. She was met with an empty bed instead. Brow furrowed in confusion, she dropped the toys in a chest before she turned to the door on her right, which was still slightly ajar because her youngest son was afraid of the dark and saw two little bodies curled into each other; their limbs tangled, both clutching their stuffies, fast asleep. She stood in the doorway for a minute, heart full of love, and committed this moment to memory. 

Leaning out of their room with a small smile, Lily moved toward the French doors at the end of the hallway. She slipped into the room and quietly gathered her pajamas before going to the en suite to change. Thankfully, she had showered at the hospital before leaving so she could crawl right into bed. When she entered their bedroom, she saw Narcissa’s hair fanned out behind her on her pillow, glowing like halo under the beams of moonlight that were streaming through the window pane. Lily gazed in wonder at how lucky she was to marry the woman who had captured her heart all those years ago in Godrick’s Hollow.

_Her family had been on vacation, touring old cemeteries for a genealogy project her parents were working on, and she and her sister Petunia had decided to sit across the street at a local creamery while their parents perused the headstones. Lily had ordered a single scoop of vanilla with rainbow sprinkles and just sat down when the most beautiful girl she had ever seen walked in. Her own green eyes never left the girl as she ordered, her voice soft like velvet. Even though the blond seemed about the same age, she carried herself with a grace that was well beyond her years. _

_Lily couldn’t take her eyes off her and, as a result, she made quite the fool of herself when she fell out of her chair. The ruckus earned her a smirk and eye roll from the blond. Petunia laughed when Lily said she was going to speak to her and, ever the supportive sister, assured her she was about to get shot down. But Lily didn’t care. She was going to go over there and take her chances._

_She approached the table shyly. “Hi, um, my name is Lily. I noticed you walked in alone and thought you might like some company. Is this seat taken?”_

_Lily was struck by the intensity of the deep blue eyes that looked up from the mint chocolate chip ice cream. There was no answer, just the blonde’s contemplative gaze on her obviously trying to come to a decision about whether or not she would respond. Instead of waiting for rejection, Lily presumptuously sat herself in the seat across from her._

_With a just of her chin, the blond gestured to the brunette girl sitting across the shop holding a book in her hands. “Won’t your friend get lonely?”_

_“Huh? Oh, no. She’s not my friend. That’s just my sister, Petunia.”_

_“Petunia and Lily? Both flowers, interesting. Are your parents hippies?”_

_“Um, I don’t think so but, how well does one really know their parents?”_

_“True,” she conceded and glanced away trying to hide any look that might give away her discomfort. “Well, my name is Narcissa. Narcissa Black.”_

_“Narcissa? That’s a derivative of Narcissus…also a flower. Were _your_ parents hippies?” Lily smiled slyly._

_The blond looked up, a gloomy combination of emotions swirling in her eyes. “I don’t know, actually. I was abandoned at an orphanage when I was very young.”_

_“Oh. Oh, I’m sorry.”_

_“Don’t be,” she waved her hand dismissively, not wanting pity from a person she didn’t even know. “I don’t even know why I told you, to be honest.” But the corners of her lips lifted slightly, and her face softened just enough so that when she spoke, Lily could hear the fondness. “There’s just something about you.”_

_And though they had just met, Lily felt the same way. There was just something about the girl in front of her._

_The bell atop the door of the shop rang out and Lily and Petunia’s parents walked in telling them it was time to go. For reasons she still couldn’t recall, Lily quickly ran back to her sisters table and, stealing the felt tipped pen Petunia used a bookmark, wrote her address and phone number on the back of Narcissa’s hand. “Write to me. Or call me. Whichever. Or neither, if you don’t want to.” She rubbed the back of her neck, confidence in her impulsive decision waning. “But…yeah, I hope you decide to.” With a small wave goodbye Lily left with her family, glancing back once before walking out the front doors of the creamery._

_Two weeks later Petunia walked back from the post box and handed Lily a small cream-colored envelope, the delicate scrawl of her name across the front brought a smile to her face and at that moment she knew her life would never be the same. _

Smiling at the memory, Lily crawled into bed behind her wife and spooned her delicate frame, and, draping an arm around her waist, pulled her close. She inhaled the familiar scents of honeysuckle and lavender that surrounded her and relaxed into a deep sleep with only one thought on her mind; _she was home._


	2. Chapter 2

Narcissa was pulling out clothes for the boys to wear that day when her youngest son wandered into his bedroom.

“Wutcha doin’ Mama?”

She smiled softly at him as he pushed the round black frame of his glasses onto his tiny face. “It’s ‘what are’,” she corrected, “and I’m choosing your clothes to wear for the zoo today.”

His eyes lit up immediately at the mention of his favorite place. “The zoo? Really? Does Draco know yet?” 

“No dear, but your Aunt Petunia and cousin Dudley will be here soon and we need to be ready to go when they do so let’s get you out of those pajamas.”

His excitement died almost as quickly as it came and his small shoulders slumped forward. “Aw, man! I don’t wanna go wiff Dudley, Mama.”

Narcissa knew that the two didn’t get on particularly well. Harry was on the small size for his age and Dudley, well…he wasn’t. Still, she wanted to know what was worrying her son. “Why ever not my little cub?”

“I not wittle. I a big boy, mama.” The four year old insisted.

She found Harry’s inability to pronounce his letters utterly adorable. “Oh yes, the biggest,” she cooed. “Now, tell me what’s got you down.”

Harry huffed and with a pout on his face he explained. “He’s a meany, mama. And he always eats my treats! And- and sometimes he pushes. Last time at his house, he pushed me in the closet under the stairs and locked me in! It was scary.” 

Narcissa remembered the incident involving the cupboard under the stairs well. She had let Petunia know exactly how she felt after they boys got home and Draco reported on how things went during their overnight stay. Her sister in law had excused her obnoxious son’s behavior as, “Boys will be boys…” But that had not sat well with Narcissa. 

“Boys shall be considerate and not have the impact of their actions towards others minimized and used for gender stereotyping.”

Petunia had only met her with a pair of pursed lips, properly chastised. The twins had not been back for an overnight since.

“Oh cub, I know he can be difficult sometimes, but your Mommy and I will be with you today. Not to worry,” she reassured him and gathered him up in her arms for a hug.

“Me too!” A blur of blond hair shot across the room and jumped into their embrace, poking playfully at Harry’s ribs. “I’ll take care of dumb ole’ _ Duddykins _.” Harry giggled and darted off as an impromptu game of tag started in the room. Narcissa chuckled at Draco’s impersonation of his insufferable Aunt. She really didn’t like that woman.

Their bond brought tears to Narcissa’s eyes. For twins, the two really couldn’t be more different. Draco was the oldest-by-five-minutes and had white blonde hair like her own. He was loud, outgoing, rambunctious and fiercely protective of his little brother. And while he could be very sweet, the truth was that he was mostly mischievous. If there was a prank to be played, Draco would manage it. Their godfather Severus could attest to that.

Harry, on the other hand, was an old soul with unruly chestnut hair that stuck out in all directions (no matter how much it was brushed). He was much more reserved with his emotions, unless it involved candy or animals, two things he adored. Harry was kind and gentle; a quiet boy who preferred to stay at home and read over going to the playground with friends. On top of being smaller than kids his own age, Harry struggled with his speech and wore glasses which often made him the target of Dudley’s ridicule. 

But it was Dudley’s sixth birthday and they had all been invited to celebrate with him at the zoo. Narcissa wasn’t looking forward to it but, after chasing them around the house, she finally managed to get the giggly boys dressed and went to her own bedroom and to wake up the sleepy redhead in her bed. 

“Lil,” she lightly jostled her wife’s arm. “Honey. It’s time to wake up.”

A low groan and some incoherent mumbling came from the heap in the bed as Lily snuggled deeper into the blankets. 

Narcissa let out an amused snort before leaning in close to where she last saw her wife’s head and whispered a soft, sweet threat. “If you make me take the boys to the zoo today with _ your _ sister, and her demon spawn, without you, this will be the last time you’ll be in this bed for the next week.”

Before she could get off the bed, an arm snaked out of the pile of blankets, around her waist, and she squeaked as she was pulled her inside the cocoon. Lily snuggled her face into Narcissa’s neck, leaving a trail of small playful nips until she reached her lips. Good morning kisses turned heated as Lily’s fingers ran along the waistband of Narcissa’s jeans, slyly slipping inside the back and cupping a firm ass cheek.

Narcissa moaned and pressed her body into Lily’s wishing they had time to finish what her wife started but she’d could hear the pitter-patter of no-so-quiet little feet coming down the hallway. She gave one last kiss to her wife before two little bodies jumped on top of them and screamed, “Boo!”

“Mama, Mommy, we founded you!” Harry yelled excitedly.

“Let’s go, let’s go! Mommy, did you know we gonna go to the zoo today?”

Narcissa smirked. Lily did know. And just in case she was planning on trying to forget and snuggle back into bed, she lifted an eyebrow and gave her a playful glare, effectively reminding her of the cold uncomfortable couch downstairs with her name on it. 

~

It was a sunny Saturday and Woodland Park Zoo was crowded with families. Upon entering the zoo, Narcissa grabbed a map and crouched down to ask what the boys would like to see. She wasn’t surprised at what either of the boys chose. Harry wanted to see the lions and Draco couldn’t wait to go to the reptile house. Of course, as the birthday boy, Dudley picked first, and he wanted to see the gorillas. Both Harry and Draco groaned but once there Narcissa heard Harry snicker and looked back to see Draco riding on Lily’s back, the two of them doing a silly imitation of the animals inside the habitat.

The morning was going remarkably well all things considered. Harry hadn’t been picked on and, despite having had a long shift at the hospital and not enough sleep, Lily was in good spirits. They stopped to eat at a small place in the Trail of Vines area of the park before going to see the pythons Draco hadn’t stopped talking about since they left that morning.

“Mommy, did you know that Pythons have cold blood?” 

Narcissa felt Harry’s shoulders tense up as they walked into the exhibit and he stepped closer to her. Lily picked Draco up and set him on her shoulders so he could see the giant snake on the log better. “They’re cold-blooded, Dray, and it means that their blood changes with the temperature around them,” she explained. Lily was always looking for teachable moments. It was one of the things Narcissa loved most about her.

“Make it move!” Dudley whined, banging on the glass, but the snake didn’t move. Instead, it stayed fast asleep, appearing content to stay under the heat lamp completely ignoring the disturbance. Dudley huffed. “This is boring. Let’s go look at the lizards.” 

The group walked away from the large sleeping serpent to the opposite side of the room where small tanks housed all manner of lizards. Draco was still on Lily’s shoulders commenting on the salamanders when shrieks erupted inside the reptile house.

“Snake!” the screams grew louder, and a panic settled over the crowd as people started fleeing the space through the double doors at either end of the indoor habitat. Alarmed, Narcissa reached down for Harry only to find he wasn’t there. She couldn’t see him anywhere and with people running in all directions she couldn’t make out his figure in the crowd.

“Harry? Harry, where are you?!” Fear and anxiety laced her voice. Frantic, her eyes darted around the area for her son. “Lily, do you see him? I can’t see him!” 

Lily reached a hand out, attempting to calm her wife. “I’m sure he hasn’t gone far, Cissa. We’ll find him.”

But Narcissa wasn’t calmed, she was terrified. Harry was so small and all alone and all she could think about was how afraid he must be. How had she not noticed he wasn’t with her? Finally, a break in the horde of people allowed her a glimpse of her son’s tiny body curled up, knees to his chest, in a corner where the large python was slithering away. “Harry!” Relief flooded her and the tears she had been keeping at bay began rolling over onto her cheeks. “Oh, thank god!” 

She rushed over to him, gathering his little body in her arms and hugging him tightly to her. “Are you ok? Have you been injured?” Narcissa ran her hands all over him looking for signs of injury.

“I otay, Mama,” he reassured, his voice trembled and continued to grasp at his mother's waist tightly.

Draco and Lily joined them after the throng of panicked people had exited. “Harry!” Draco yelled, “you got to see the snake? Up close? That’s so cool! And you didn’t even cry!” For as much as they fought, and they did often, they always looked out for one another and it made their mothers proud.

Petunia walked up behind them, clearing her throat, a sniveling Dudley trailing behind her. “Dudley would like to go now so, if you all are ready, we can get going.”

But they hadn’t seen the lion’s yet, and Lily watched Harry’s lip wobble a bit. Everyone had gotten to see their favorites so far except him. “Actually, Tooney...” Her sister loathed that nickname. “I think we’ll stay. Harry hasn’t gotten to see the lion’s just yet and I still really want to see all the marine animals. You know how much I love Otters.” Lily winked at Harry, who was still wrapped in his mama’s embrace, and watched his smile grow so big his cheeks lifted the bottom rim of his glasses. Her heart warmed at the sight.

“Fine,” she said petulantly, “ I’ll call you later this week.” She guided a scared Dudley out of the reptile house with promises of two new presents before they went home.

“Sounds good.” Lily spoke to her sister's retreating form.

“Does it?” Narcissa snarked beside her.

“_ Honey _.”

“Fine, fine.” She held her hands up in surrender. Lily leaned in for a small kiss and whispered, “_ thank you,” _before they walked out, happy to enjoy the rest of the day, just the four of them.

They didn’t see any other runaway animals that day (unless one counted Harry and Draco as they ran around playing and burning off the sugary confections that Lily had given them earlier) and by the time they had exited the park, the twins were fast asleep in their mothers’ arms.


End file.
